Engine starting apparatus



,Dec. 27, 1932. 'R. CHILTON ENGINE SI'IARTING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 50. 1929 2 Sheets-Shed 1 Dec. 27, 1932.

R. CHILTON 1,892,095

ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 50. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 R F r J a 1" 51 q; L I Z\ g J N 1' L "J 1 Patented Dec. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROLAND CHILTON, OI KEYPORT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO ECLIPSE MACHINE COMPANY, OF ELMIRA HEIGHTS, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK ENGINE STARTING APPARATUS Application filed January 30, 1929. Serial No. 336,314.

This invention relates to engine starters and more particularly to means embody ng a high speed inertia member for cranklng internal combustion engines.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide starters of the above character, the apparatus bein soconstructed that the flywheel may be rought up to speed by manually operable means, or by an electric motor. When both manual and power means are provided it is desirable that either the driving connection between the motor and flywheel be disconnected except when the motor is actuating the flywheel, or that the brushes of the motor be normally disengaged from the commutator in order that the apparatus will not ofier excessive resistance to hand cranking.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide novel starting apparatus of the above type which is so constituted that the motor armature, if desired, may be drivably connected at all times to the flywheel, whereby said armature and flywheel coact to form a reservoir for the storage of energy.

Another object is to provide apparatus of the above character embodying novel means for normally maintaining the brushes out of engagement with the motor commutator, whereby hand cranking is facilitated and the energy stored in the inertia means is not lost in brush load.

Another object is to provide starting apparatus of the above type comprising novel mechanism for moving the engine engaging member into driving engagement with a member of the engine to be cranked in timed relation to the lifting of the brushes from the commutator whereby said brushes are ineffective to offer further resistance to the rotation of the inertia means.

Another object is to provide novel apparatus of the above character adapted for manual or power operation or both. The above and other objects will appear more fully hereinafter.

One embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, but it is to be expressly understood that the drawings are for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a structure embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view, taken on the line 22, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view illustrating one form of brush mounting and lifting mechanism which may be employed; and

Fig. 4 is a side View in partial section illustrating the mechanism shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive.

The starting apparatus constituting the subject matter of t e present invention embodies a housing 5 adapted to be secured to the engine crank case, a portion of which is shown at 6 (Fig. 4), by means of bolts 7. The starter is'of self-contained type and is adapted to be removed from or installed on the engine as a unit.

Secured to the outer end of housing 5 is an electric motor 8 having an armature shaft 9 which, in the form shown, has an end of reduced size, as indicated at 10,.which is drivably and removably connected in any suitable manner to the hub 11 of a small high speed flywheel 12. The latter is drivably connected to a jaw member 13 through a suitable train of reduction gearing, and yielding clutch means, not shown in detail since sai gear train and clutch means constitutes no part per se of the present invention.

The jaw member 13 is adapted to be moved I longitudinally into driving engagement with a similar member provided on the en 'ne crank shaft or an extension thereof shown), after suflicient energy has been stored in the flywheel and armature to crank the engine. Manual means, including a cranking shaft 14 which is operatively connected to the gearing mentioned above, are provided for manually rotating the flywheel and motor armature in the event it is not desired to employ the electric motor, or to assist the electric motor in rotating the flywheel in the event that this is deemed necessary, as when the current supply for said motor is low.

Since the armature of the motor is at all times drivably connected with the flywheel, means are provided for maintaining the brushes out of engagement with the commutator of the motor at all times other than that in which the motor is being used to store up the cranking energy. For this purpose there is pivoted to a suitable lug provided on the outer end of the motor casing, as at 15, a three-arm lever 16 which has limited movement about a vertical axis. One arm 17 of lever 16 18 adapted to engage the end of the motor casing to limit the pivotal movement of said lever. Extending inwardly through a suitable opening in the end of the motor casing is another arm 19 of the lever 16 which engages a tooth or lug 20 (Fig. 3) provided on the lower edge of a link 21.

One end of link 21 is pivoted as at 22 to a brush holder 23 carrying a brush 24 of any suitable type, the brush holder being pivotally mounted on a pin 25 which projects inwardly from a lug 26 secured in any suitable manner to the inner face of the end wall of the motor casing. The other end of link 21 is pivoted to a lever 27 constituting a holder for another brush 28, said brushes being adapted to engage the commutator 29 of the motor. Lever 27 is pivotally mounted in a manner similar to that employed for brush holder 23. The pivot pins 25 for the brushes carry coil springs 30, one end of each of said springs-being adapted to enga e a pin 31 projecting from the end wall of t e 'motor housing and the opposite end of the spring having engagement with the head of the ad acent brush holder, whereby said springs normally tend to hold the brushes in engagement with the commutator.

Means are provided for normall overcoming the tension of springs 30 wliiereby the brushes are normally held out of engagement with the commutator 29. For this purpose suitable resilient means such as a coil spring 32 may be secured at one end to the arm 33 of lever 16, the opposite end of said spring being anchored to any suitable part of the structure on which the starter is mounted. The spring 32 tends to all times to rotate lever 16 in a-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, and maintain stop 18 in engagement with the end of the motor casing. Common means are preferably provided for moving the driving member 13 into'engagement with the engine member and for raising brushes 24 and 28 from the commutator. In the form shown said means comprises a rod 34 provided on one end with a'handle 35 and attached at its opposite end to a lever 36 which is pivoted, as at 37." to housing 5. The pivot member may, if desired, constitute a transversely ex- (Fig. 2) carries an adjustable stop tending rock shaft which carries substantially in the plane of the longitudinal axis of the starting mechanism the fork 38 adapted to engagethe collar 39 which is mounted for limited sliding movement on a rod 40 that is operatively connected to the jaw member 13, the movement of collar 39 relatively to rod 40 being limited by collars 41 and 42. Intermediate the pivot 37 and the connecting point or rod 34 lever '36 carries a laterally projecting ear 43, through which slidably extends a rod 44 provided on the lever end thereof with a head 45. The opposite end of rod 44 is pivotally connected to the arm 33 of lever 16.

If desired, any suitable type of switch means, not shown, may be employed for energizing the motor but, if desired, the brushes 24 and 28 may be employed for this purpose. Accordingly, when it is desired to energize the motor, rod 34 is .forced to the left as viewed in Fig. 4, whereupon rod 44 is ulled to the left against the tension of spring 32 and springs 30 are effective to lower the brushes into engagement with commutator 29, whereby the motor is energized and the flywheel rotated at high speed. After the latter has been brought to the desired speed of rotation, i. e., after suflicient energy has been stored in said flywheel and the motor armature for cranking the engine, rod 34 is pulled to the right as viewed in Fig. 4 and spring 32 is effective to swing lever 16 to a position such that the brushes are raised out of engagement with the commutator and simultaneously rod 40 is forced to the left to mesh jaw member 13 with the engine member. The energy stored in the flywheel and armature now acts through the train of gearing, clutch mechanism and jaw 13 to crank the engine and no portion of this ener is lost, due to brush load. After the engine starts under its own power the engine member rotates at a greater speed than' aw 13, whereupon the latter is moved to the right out of driving engagement, due to the inclination of the teeth thereof.

Since the motor armature and flywheel coact to form the reservoir for the storage of energy the weight of the flywheel may be very small. Moreover, the parts are so arranged as to be symmetrical, which facilitates mounting of the starter of the en 'ne, whereby the apparatus is particularly a apted for use on aeroplane engines.

When it is not desired to employ power means for storing the energy a hand crank may be connected to cranking shaft 14 for manually actuatingthe flywheel and armature. Since the brushes 24 and 28 are at this time out of engagement with the commutator they are ineffective to ofler resistance to the rotation of the parts.

There is thus provided novel starting mechanism for either manual or power operation or both, said mechanism being so constituted that the armature of the motor is at all times drivably connected with the flywheel. Means are provided for normally maintaining the brushes out of engagement with the motor commutator, whereby no energy stored in the armature and the flywheel is lost in brush load and whereby manual actuation is facilitated. In the form shown the circuit to the motor is completed by the brushes but, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, additional switch means may be employed, said means being adapted to be closed after the brushes are engaged with the commutator to' reduce sparking. Various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts, and reference will therefore be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, a member adapted to be moved into driving engagement with a member of an en ine to be started, inertia means including a ywheel, a motor having an armature and commutator brushes, said armature being drivably connected to said flywheel, torque multiplying means for drivably connecting the flywheel and engine engaging member, means including a resilient device common to all of said brushes for disengaging said brushes from said commutator, and interconnecting means for controlling the action of said engine engaging member and said brush disengaging means. Y

2. In apparatus of the class described, an engine engaging member, inertia means including a flywheel, a motor having an armature distinct from but drivably connected to said flywheel, a commutator and brushes for said armature, a single resilient member normally maintaining said brushes out of engagement 'with said commutator, common control means for actuating said engine engaging member and rendering said single resilient member inefiective, and additional resilient means operative to engage said brushes with said commutator when said single resilient member is rendered inefiective by virtue of the operation of said common control means.

3. In a starter of the class described, an engine engaging member, a flywheel drivably connected with said member, an electric motor for energizing said flywheel, said motor having a commutator, brushes for said commutator, means for mounting said brushes for pivotal movement about axes parallel to the axis of said motor, a link operatively connected to said brush mounting means, and means including a manually operable lever having engagement with said link for maintaining said brushes in a raised position relative to the motor commutator.

4. In apparatus of the class described, an engine engaging member, a flywheel, a motor for energizin said flywheel, the armature of the motor eing drivably connected at all times to said flywheel, means for maintaining the motor brushes of said mtor in operative position comprising a plurality of springs coiled about axes parallel to the axis of the motor, and linkage connectinging resilient means comprising a single ten sion device operatively connected to all of said brushes, means for rendering said resilient disengaging means ineflective with respect to said brushes, and means for simultaneously shifting said member to engine engaging position and rendering said resilient disengaging means efiective.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

. ROLAND CHILTON. 

